Staff Report
Published Oct. 12, 2009

Johnson & Johnson, an insurance company based in Mount Pleasant, ranks No. 1 among small and medium-size businesses, according to the “Best Places to Work” in South Carolina competition.

The nominees were announced in August, and the winners were announced at an awards dinner Thursday night in Columbia.

Previous coverage:

• Best Places to Work in S.C. 2009 announces finalists

Select Health of South Carolina, Life Cycle Engineering, Environmental Express and Buist Moore Smythe McGee P.A. were also named to the small and medium employers list, which includes employers with 15-249 employees. Stanley Inc., based in North Charleston, was named No. 5 among large employers, with 250 or more employees.

“South Carolina is home to some of the best places to work in the nation,” said Otis Rawl Jr., president and CEO of the S.C. Chamber of Commerce. “Congratulations to these innovative companies that are setting the example as superb organizations for our state’s work force to prosper.”

The program is sponsored by a partnership among the S.C. Chamber of Commerce, the Society for Human Resource Management-S.C. State Council and SC Biz News LLC, the publishers of SCBIZ magazine, the Charleston Regional Business Journal, the Columbia Regional Business Report and GSA Business. Nexsen Pruet presents the annual awards program.

The “Best Places” competition identifies and recognizes South Carolina’s best employers and is open to all S.C. organizations with at least 15 employees working in South Carolina.

The 2009 rankings are:

Small/Medium Employers (15-249 employees)

1. Johnson & Johnson, Charleston
2. SynTerra, Greenville
3. Select Health of South Carolina Inc., Charleston
4. Clover Community Bank, Clover
5. KeenanSuggs Insurance, Columbia
6. Life Cycle Engineering, Charleston
7. McAngus Goudelock & Courie LLC, Columbia
8. Environmental Express, Mount Pleasant
9. Longleaf Holdings USA LLC, Spartanburg
10. First Reliance Bank, Florence
11. C.F. Evans & Co. Inc., Orangeburg
12. First Community Bank, Lexington
13. Buist Moore Smythe McGee P.A., Charleston
14. S.C. Education Lottery, Columbia

Large Employers (250 or more employees)

1. Edward Jones, Florence
2. Elliott Davis LLC, Greenville
3. AgFirst Farm Credit Bank, Columbia
4. Palmetto Health, Columbia
5. Stanley Inc., North Charleston
6. Seibels, Bruce & Co., Columbia